Man shot by Brown Deer Police Officer Files Injury Claim

A 26-year-old man has filed a claim against the Village of Brown Deer for wrongful injury, after he was shot by police on March 14th.

Manuel Burnley, Jr., was a passenger on an MCTS bus when he became involved in an argument with the driver, who flagged down officers in a squad car.

According to the Notice of Injury, two Brown Deer officers forcibly removed Burnley from the bus, before shooting him in the back.

Attorney John Safran filed the claim on behalf of Burnley.

"One has to wonder, what was the officer thinking? Why would she shoot him? My client had no weapons on him," he says.

According to the Milwaukee Co. District Attorney's office, Milwaukee Police have completed their investigation into the incident. The DA's Office is still reviewing the case to determine if the officer's actions were justified, and if any charges are merited.

"If a decision is made not to pursue criminal charges by the state, we would then go and ask the U.S. Attorney's Office and DOJ to investigate this for potential federal civil right's charges," says Safran.

He says Burnley spent 12 days in the hospital, and is still recovering from the incident.

"They're [the officers] going on with their lives. My client has been left with permanent injuries that he's got to deal with," he says. "He wants justice."

Brown Deer Police did not return calls for comment on Thursday.

The District Attorney's Office says it has no timeline for potential charges in the case.